William h



' (No Model.) w. H. LAIRD'.-

HAY VRMK.

.Ndl 505,317

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM II. LAIRD, OF MENDON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM H. REINHART, OF SAME PLACE.

HAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,317, dated September 19, 1893.

Application tiled September 17,1892. Serial No. 446,166- (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LAIRD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Meudon, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Racks; and I do hereby declare that Ythe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hay racks adapted to be placed on a Wagon body so as to be conveyed from place to place.

`The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of hay rack, the sides of which can be made to a vertical position, an angular position with respect to the bottom thereof, or they may be folded down dat upon the bottom as circumstances may require.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of a hay rack constructed according' to my invention, the sides being in a vertical position. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, with the sides at an angle. Fig. 3 isa similar View, the sides folded down upon the bottom.

In the said drawings the reference numerals 1, 1, and 2, 2, designate the bottom rails, arranged in pairs at each side of the device. It will be seen that the rails 1, l, are located above the rails 2, 2, with cross rails 3, 3, interposed therebetween. The bottom 4 rests upon these cross rails, and all are securely connected together by means of bolts or other fastening devices. The ends 4a of the rack consist of a number of vertical and horizontal bars connected together and to the bottom rails. They are also provided with vertically adjustable ladders 5.

The sides of the rack consist of a series of bars 6 connected together by means of hori` zontal bars or rails 7. Near their lower ends the bars 6 are provided with bails or loops 8 consisting of pieces of wire bent over at their centers and having their ends bent outwardly forming short lugs 9, which are pivoted to eye-bolts 10, secured to the bottom 4. The looped portions of these bails are connected with the bails 6, by means of the half-boxes 12, secured to said bars by means of bolts 13; The lower ends of bars 6 are beveled as seen in Fig. 2 and are adapted to engage with transverse slots 14, in the bottom 4, the inner walls of said slots being beveled to correspond with said beveled ends.

The numerals 15 and 16, denote respectively hooks and eyes for holding the sides in place when in a vertical position.

The operation is as follows: When in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lower ends of the bars 6 abut against the outer face of the rails 1. In this position the rack may 'be employed for carrying farm produce of various kinds and descriptions. To convert the de- Vice into a hay rack, the hooks and eyes 15 and 16 are disengaged and the sides lifted up and then turned outwardly and downwardly, when the lower ends of the bars 6, will slide in the slots 14, until they engage with the beveled inner walls thereof when they will be retained and at an angle as seen in Fig. 2. The sides can also be folded down upon the bottom as seen in Fig. 3 if desired.

It will be noted that the sides are entirely independent of each other, so that one side can be in one position, and the other side in another position.

By the above construction the rack may be readily converted from ahay rack to a rack for carrying various articles, and will be found exceedingly valuable for farming purposes.

The device when in use will be placed upon' a wagon body as is usual.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is- A hay rack consisting of the bottom rails, the ends, and the bottom having transverse slots with beveled inner walls, the sides consisting of the horizontal rails and the bars In testimony that I claim the foregoing as having beveled inner ends, and the bails pivmy own I have hereunto affixed my signature otally connected to said bars by half-round in presence of tWo Witnesses.

boxes, and having their ends bent outwardly W. H. LAIRD. and pivotaily connected with eye-bolts selVitnesses: cured to said bottom, substantially as de- CHAS. J. STOVER,

scribed. THEO. Z. EVELAND. 

